3 CFL teams courting Dickenson: report
Stampeders appear to be front-runner for veteran quarterback's services
Dave Dickenson could be ready to return to Calgary, where he broke into the Canadian Football League in 1997, or play for a team in the East for the first time.
The free-agent quarterback reportedly is coveted by the Stampeders, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts.
"I think it's a good fit here in Calgary," Dickenson, 35, told Sun Media on Monday. "I've already played here, I love the coaches and I've always seen myself looking to come back at some point."
John Hufnagel, a former Stampeders quarterback, has taken over as coach after Tom Higgins guided the team to a 7-10-1 record in 2007. Calgary later fell to Saskatchewan in the West Division semifinal.
Dickenson, who lives in Calgary during the off-season, played for the Stampeders from 1997 to 2000 before attempting a career in the National Football League.
In November, the B.C. Lions released the oft-injured pivot due to his $400,000 annual salary, plus the emergence of Buck Pierce and fellow free agent Jarious Jackson.
Dickenson suffered his third concussion in two years last July in a game against Saskatchewan and spent the next three months on the sidelines with post-concussion syndrome.
He returned on Oct. 26 and finished the season completing 64.4 per cent of his passes for 740 yards in five games.
In nine CFL seasons, Dickenson has amassed 22,834 yards through the air and passed for 154 touchdowns.
Last week, the CFL's most outstanding player in 2000 and the 2006 Grey Cup game received medical clearance from noted concussion specialist Dr. Karen Johnston.
The Argos on Monday denied having made a formal offer to Dickenson, with a team spokesman calling it "pure speculation."
It's believed Dickenson has also had discussions with Winnipeg coach Doug Berry about the possibility of playing behind starter Kevin Glenn.
"I know what I'll play for and what I'll potentially move to another city for," said Dickenson, a two-time Grey Cup champion.
"If it's there it's there, if not I just won't play. I'm not playing hardball — I just need a good fit."
With files from the Canadian Press